Process of scouring and decorticating cereals



(No Model.)

W. AGER. PROGESS 0F SGOURING AND DBGORTIGATING CEREALS.

Patented Sept. 17, 1889.

.ziltiorney WITNESSES N PETERS. Phawulhn m her. Washingkln. I) (:1

UITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILSON AGER, or BLOOMSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF SCOURING AND DECORTICATING CEREALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,316, datedSeptember 17, 1889.

Application filed March 30, 1889. Serial No. 305,421. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it 12mg concern:

Be it known that I, IVILSON AGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bloomsburg, in the county of Columbia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes ofScouring and Decorticating Cereals, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to processes of scouring and decorticating cereals,and the purpose thereof is to provide simple means whereby the heatingof the decorticating-surfaces under the friction of a full load and highspeed shall be prevented and the operation of the decorticator renderedmore rapid and perfect.

lleretofore an upright decorticator has been used, consisting of anouter stationary drum having its inner face provided with aniniperforate abrading-surface provided at intervals with openingscovered by wiregauze, said drum being combined with an interiorrevolving cylinder having bristles on its outer face and provided withblast-openings in the cylindrical wall, said drum having air-forcingdevices at one or both ends, whereby air is drawn into the interiorrevolving cylinder and forced thence through its blast-openings andthrough the gauze coverings in the outer drum. This is substantially theorganization of the decorticating-mill patented to me March 18, 1884,No.295,471. \Vhile this decorticator gives excellent results,experiencehas demonstrated that when running at high speed and with afull load the abrading-surface of the outer cylinder is liable to heatunder the friction produced, the air-current induced by theinternally-directed blast being insufficient to reduce this temperatureto a proper degree under the conditions named. I have found, however,that by introducing air from the exterior of the outer cylinder andforcingit between said cylinder and the revolving drum in a directionopposite, or substantially so, to the direction of revolution, whence itescapes through the gauze-covered openings in the drum,I am able notonly to reduce the temperature to a low point, but to materially increase the internal induced current and more effectually expel the dust,while the mill may also be run at a very high speed and with a full loadwithout overh eatin My invention consists in the novel methodhereinafter described, and then defined in the claims, the accompanyingdrawings showing one form of apparatus by which said method is carriedinto operation.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of adecorticator embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section ofFig. l on the line a: a. Fig. 3 is a detail section of the exteriorcylinder, showing the connection of one of the external blast devices.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 indicates any suitablesupporting-frame by which the operative parts are supported, said framehaving upper and lower cross beams or braces 2 and 3, upon the latter ofwhich is stepped a vertical shaft 4?; the bearing being protected by ahood 5. The upper end of the shaft is supported in a suitable bearing inthe cross-beam 2, which is braced by a tiebeam 6, or in any suitablemanner. A bandpulley 7 is mounted on the shaft l between the cross-beams2 and 6 and a similar support above.

Upon the shaft 4: is keyed or otherwise mounted a cylinder 8, which ingeneral outline is preferably a frustum of a cone. This cylinder isprovided with heads 9, having circular flanges 10, to which is boltedthe body of the cylinder, composed of any suitable material and providedwith openings 12, which are partly covered by interior flaps 13, mountedon one edge of said openings and so placed as to leave longitudinalapertures between the free edges of the flaps and the other edges ofsaid openings, said apertures being upon the side toward which thecylinder revolves. The outer face of the cylinder is covered, with theexception of the openings 12, with short closely-set bristles it, forwhich tampico or any equivalent material may be substituted. In eachcylinder-head are formed openings 15, over which are inclined plates 16,their free ends pointing in the direction of rotation. These openingsare placed as nearly as possible to the periphery of the drum, in orderthat the rotation of the latter may impart the greatest possible speed,whereby the air is driven or drawn into the interior of said cylinder atone or both ends.

Surrounding the cylinder 8 and concentric therewith is a drum 17, havingits wall par allel to that of the cylinder and separated therefrom by ashort space. This outer drum is supported upon the frame above andbelow, and is composed of any suitable material provided upon itsinterior face with an imperforate abrading-surface formed of emery,Derbyshire stone, or other similar material. In the wall of this drumare formed two, three, or more openings 18, running vertically andcovered by wire-gauze of suitable fineness, these openingsextending,preferably, to a point not far fromthe lower end of the drum,which is provided with a cone-shaped receptacle 19, emptying into achute 20, through which the grain, after being decorticated andscoured,.is conducted to suitable receptacles below.

The decorticator is supplied by means of a hopper-trough 21, throughwhich the cereal is fed from a reservoir above,fromwhich it passes intothe decorticator at the upper end of the drum and cylinder, as seen inFig. 1. The operation of the mill may be regulated by simply adjustingthe inner cylinder 8 vertically by means of the set-screw 22. As thegrain passes between the revolving cylinder and outer drum, the rapidrotation of the latter draws a strong current of air into its interior,whence it is expelled through the openings 12 in said cylinder, andthence through the gauzecovered openings in the drum, driving off thedust, but allowing-the scoured grain to descend into the chute below.

Entering the outer drum at one, two, three, or more points arefan-shaped conveyers 23, the longitudinal openings whereof extendvertically through the wall of the drum at suitable intervals. Theseconveyers are preferably arranged to deliver their blast in a directionnearly or quite tangent to the inner or revolving cylinder, though thisfeature is capable of considerable variation. The direction of theair-blast delivered thereby is also contrary to the direction ofrotation of said cylinder, whereby the force of the internallyinducedcurrent is increased, while the surface of the drum is cooled andretained at a low temperature and the dust and similar foreignmatterexpelled through the screened openings with great force andrapidity. I have shown in the drawings two of these conveyers only; butI wish it to be understood that I may employ any desired number, theusual construction being from two to six, according to the size andcapacity of the mill. I may also introduce the auxiliary blast from theside through the edges of the screened openings or through openings inthe solid wall of the drum between these apertures. The form of theconveyers is also susceptible of considerable variation, as I by nomeans confine myself to a fan-shaped device, but may use any duct, oreven a series of ducts, by which air may be introduced from the outside.I may also use the outside air-blast alone and in place of theinternally-induced current produced by the rotation of the cylinder 8.

The invention described and claimed in this application is the processor method embodied in the apparatus set forth in the United StatesLetters Patent granted me the 25th day of June, 1889, No. 405,937.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

1. In decorticating and scouring cereals, the method herein describedfor preventing heat and promoting the operation of the mill, said methodconsisting in introducing air through the outer drum and between thesame and the vertically-rotating cylinder, substantially as described. I

2. In the process of decorticating cereals, the method herein set forthfor preventing heat under a heavy load and high speed, the sameconsisting in inducing a current of air within the inner revolvingcylinder and introducing one or more currents of air through the wall ofthe outer drum in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation ofthe inner cylinder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig nature in presence of twowitnesses.

WILSON AGER. WVitnesses:

VINTON CooMBs, JAMES A. RUTHERFORD.

